Treatment of injuries to joints and/or limbs normally utilizes the application of therapeutic heat or cold thereto. To facilitate this treatment, a device for retaining heat and/or cold must be placed proximate the limb and secured thereto. This is normally accomplished by utilizing a material with a relatively high specific heat that conforms to the surface profile of the portion of the anatomy to be treated. These devices normally are in the form of a gel pack that can be heated or cooled to provide an appropriate temperature gradient. Some of the disadvantages incurred in present devices is that they either are bulky and nonportable or they loose their therapeutic cooling or heating affect rapidly due to heat transfer to the injured limb and/or the atmosphere.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,587,578, 3,780,537, 4,055,188, 4,033,354, 3,307,554, 4,381,025, 4,326,533, 3,889,684, 4,372,318, 3,871,376, 3,900,035, 3,815,610 and 2,288,745 all disclose devices that are designed to hold a therapeutic gel pack adjacent an injured limb. These devices all have the disadvantage that they do not deliver the appropriate therapeutic effect to the appropriate anatomical areas. In addition, they are difficult to position. This is undesirable in that most existing applications of a therapeutic wrap require that the individual remain relatively immobile while undergoing the treatment.
In view of the above disadvantages, there exists a need for a therapeutic wrap that increases the length of time of the therapeutic treatment while remaining portable in addition to applying the therapeutic effect to the appropriate anatomical area.